Door lock



Jan. 15, 1952 3, B 2,582,927

DOOR LOCK Filed Oct. 21, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l Izg. Z

EVEHE fbw/mp Q 04a E. D. DALL Jan. 15, 1952 DOOR LOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 21, 1947 fig. l5

EYEZYTUZ- [am/w Q 0444 E. D. DALL 2,582,927

DOOR LOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 15, 1952 Filed Oct. 21, 1947 EVE 1772:? [ow/M0 D 041;

Jan. 15, 1952 E. D. DALL 2,532,927

DOOR LOCK Filed 001;, 21, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 K 8 66 film/a0 BDALL Patented Jan. 15, 1952 DOOR LOCK Edward D. Dali, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Hondaille-Ilershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a

corporation of Michigan Application October 21,1947, Serial No. 781,078

3 Claim.

This invention relates to door latch mechanism, particularly for use on automobile doors.

The present invention provides ,a door latch structure which is intended to be operated by means of a handle which can be manually rotated about an axis parallel to the outside surface of the door, this axis usually though not necessarily being a vertical axis. When such a handle, however, is employed, there exists the possibility that some malicious person may slip a pipe over the handle and rotate it with great force in the endeavor to break the door lock, and thus gain entrance to the automobile. It has been possible in the case of certain door locks heretofore employed, for such an efiort to succeed.

The present invention aims to provide a latch releasing mechanism for a door, which, when the door is locked by means of a key or otherwise the door in a plurality of positions short of. and

including a tightly latched position by means of a take up" mechanism, which, however, can readily be released when it is desired to open the door and which is adapted to free the parts of the take-up mechanism in order to allow the door to open freely.

Qther objects and advantages of the invention will be mentioned hereinafter or will become apparent from a perusal oi the following specification.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a lock structure embodying my invention, the outside and inside operating handles not being shown, the rotary bolt being in latched position;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken approximately at the position of the line 11-11 of Figure 1. showing the position or the parts which they occupy unlatched. as when the door is open;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken approximately on the line III-III of Figure 1, showing the take-up mechanism in the fully latched position; i

Figure 4 is a sectional view, approximately at the position of the line 11-11 of Figure l. but

the outside handle, for'unlatching the door;

Figure 5 is a sectional view generally similar to 'to the rotor plate il.

2 Figure 4 but showing portions of the latch mech anism in latched and locked position;

Figure 6 is a detail showing the rotary bolt and safety latch bolt about to enter the keeper structure;

Figure 7 is a view showing the safety latch bolt projecting inside of the keeper and the rotary bolt about to begin its latching rotation;

Figure 8 is a detail showing the rotary bolt in fully latched position;

Figure 9 is a view somewhat similar to Figure 3 showing a portion of the latch mechanism in unlatched position, whereas Figure 3 shows the same portions in fully latched position;

Figure 10 is another view showing the latch mechanism in partially latched position;

Figure 11 is asectional view showing a portion of the outside latch operating mechanism fully operated, and two positions of the take-up mechanism during its release;

Figure 12 is a partial sectional view showin the outside operating handle;

Figure 13 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 12;

. Figure 14 is a partial sectional view of the inner end of the outside operating handle; and

Figure 15 is a partial side elevation of the keeper.

As shown on the drawings:

The lock structure herein described includes a lock casing plate shaped to provide two portions substantially at right angles to each other, one of which is mounted generally parallel to the inside surface of the door and is herein designated as i0, whereas the other portion extends substantially along the edge of the door and is designated as H. The plate ii hereinafter will be referred to as the rotor plate while the plate ill will be referred to as the roll back plate.

The rotary bolt generally designated as A is mounted on the rotor plate as follows. A housing for the rotor bolt is mounted on the outside of the rotor plate and consists of a bottom plate I! which may be secured in any suitable manner to the rotor plate Ii. for example by providing small holes in the rotor plate and extending projections from -the plate I! therethrough swaging them over, as indicatedat [3 in Figure 10. End vertical walls i4 and I5 are likewise formed on this housing and may be secured in a similar manner The outside vertical wall It serves as a support for the outer end of a pivot pin I! on which the rotary bolt A is pivotally mounted. The inner end of the .pivot pin li has flxed thereon a cam shaped collar l I whose function will later be described.

The rotary bolt A has a striker arm I! and a latching arm 23. The functions of these two arms will be apparent from a consideration of Figures 7 and 8 wherein the striker arm is shown engaging the striker plate as the bolt moves into the keeper and the latching arm thereafter engaging the keeper for holding the door in latched position.

Fixed in the latching arm 20 is a post 2| which extends inwardly through the curved slot 22 in the rotor plate II and carries pivotally mounted on its inner end a take-up arm 23.

Also mounted on the rotor plate II is a post having an enlarged head 24, which serves as a pivotal mounting for the rotor lever 25, with which the tape-up arm 23 cooperates in holding the rotary bolt in latched position. A portion zontal surface or a shoulder 29 formed on the safety latch plate B, this plate being pivotally mounted upon a circular collar 30 extending through a circular aperture in the roll back plate It. This collar may be formed integrally with the safety latch plate'B, or, it may be a separate collar as desired.

In order to bring about engagement of the take-up arm 23 with the serrated surface on the rotor lever, a spring 3| is mounted to encircle the inner end of the post 2|, one end of the spring being crimped in a slot 32 provided at the inner end of post 2| while the other end of the spring 3| is hooked over the lateral projection 33 which is formed integrally with the take-up arm. The spring is partly broken away in Figures 3 and 9 to show cam collar l3 and its function.

It will be apparent from a consideration of Figures 7, 8, 9 and 10, that when the rotary bolt A rotates from the position shown in Figure 7 to the position shown in Figure 8 as the door moves into latching or latched position, the post 2| together with the spring 3| will cause the head 21 on the take-up arm to move from the inoperative position shown in Figure 9 to the take-up position. shown in Figure 10, and when the takeup arm is so engaged with the rotor lever, it will prevent the bolt from rotating in an unlatching direction. Further closing movement of the door will cause the head 21 on the take-up arm to advance further to the left along the serrated surface of the rotor lever from the position shown in Figure 10, and if the door be pulled or slammed tightly shut, the head will move approximately to the left-hand dotted line position for the take-up lever shown in Figure 11.

Attention is called to the fact that the rotary bolt A is not spring loaded to operate in either direction but is entirely free to be moved or oscillated by the keeper itself and merely takes whatever position it is actuated to by the keeper. For example, the keeper has a downwardly facing surface 35 serving as a strike surface against which the strike arm I! on the rotary bolt engages during closing movement of the door. The surface 36 on the keeper constitutes the holding .the rotor lever 25 will be supported upon a hori- 4 surface against which the holding arm 20 engages when the door is in latched position.

The lower abutments in the keeper arm 31 which constitute the strike surface for the safety latch bolt hereinafter described. an upwardly facing horizontal surface 38 upon which the rotary bolt housing rests when the door is latched, and a shoulder 39 which would be engaged by the nose of the safety. latch bolt if one attempted to open the door without retracting the safety latch bolt when the rotary bolt housing is in the position shown in Figure 7 or Figure 8. The plate 40 with which the above mentioned surfaces are formed integrally, may be perforated near its upper and lower margins (not shown) to serve as a means for attaching the keeper to the door post.

The roll-back plate l0 affords a base on which to mount the following parts of the lock mechanism. An inside release plate 4| is pivotally mounted to oscillate on the post 42 and is held thereon by the enlarged head 43 of that post, the opposite end of the post being secured to the roll back plate I0. A projection 44 on this release plate is normally in contact with an upstanding finger 45 formed integrally with the safety latch plate B, which is pivotally supported on the collar 30 on the roll back plate. The nose 46, sometimes hereinafter referred to itself as the safety latch bolt, is held normally projected, as shown in Figure 2, by means of a spring 41, one end of which is anchored between the ears 48 struck out from plate I0 and the other end of which presses against the projection 49 on the safety latch plate.

The release member 4| may be oscillated to retract the safety latch bolt by means of the link 50 which is .pivotally connected to a post 5| extending laterally from the arm 52 of the release member 4|. This link is operable by means of a lever 53 which, in turn, may be rocked by means of an inside door handle. not shown, pivotally supported on the shaft 54, the lever 53 being held normally in a vertical position by means of the spring 55. The details of construction of the inside handle do not constitute a part of this invention. The slot 56 shown in Figure 2 may optionally be employed to permit oscillation of the release member 4| without disturbing the normal position of the inside handle, or the slot may be omitted. which would cause the inside handle to rock whenever the release member 4| oscillates.

The release member 4| may also be operated from the outside of the door as follows. An outside release lever 51 has one end pivotally mounted on the post 24, and its other end 58 extends through a vertical guide slot provided in the indented portion 58' of the inside roll back plate. An outside actuator 59 having a lateral flange 60 is also pivotally mounted on the post 24 and a stiff spring coiled about post 24 has one end 6| resting against the flange 60 and its other end 62 engaged with a lateral flange 63 which is integral with the outside release lever 51. While a push button might be mounted in the outside wall of the door to act against the flange 60 to rock the actuator 59, it is preferred that an outside handle construction such as is shown in Figures 12 to 14 inclusive be employed.

The outside handle includes a handle member 64 whose forward hollow end has a U-shaped bracket inserted therein'to the bracket having legs 65 and 66 connected by a cross member 61. The upper end portions of the bracket legs are welded or otherwise secured to the inner surface operating post 1|.

access? of the handle, whereby the bracket forms a means for pivotally supporting the handle upon a pivot pin 08, the ends of which are supported .in a bracket mounted on the car door and having inwardly extending flanges 68 and II. The outer portions-of these supporting flanges are shaped as shown at H and I2 surrounding the aperture through which the forward hollow end of the handle can be rotated into the body of the car door. An outside cover plate I2 is preferably provided as shown.

The cross plate 61 is provided with an aperture in which is seated the reduced end I3 of a latch operating post 14 whose inner end 15 extends through a bushing 16 provided in a plate 11 which may be formed integrally with the flanges BI and III or be otherwise formed and secured in position to act as a guide for the As shown in Figure 12, the inner end of this post makes contact with the flange 60 on the lever 50, the spring Gl-H keeping these two members in constant nonrattling engagement. A lateral projection 18 on flange Hi engageable by the lower end of bracket member S6 limits the outward rotation of handle 64 responsive to the action of spring 6l82.

The outside handle operates as follows. By rotating this handle about its pivot 68, the bracket 65, i6, 61 welded thereto is rotated inwardly and the post 14 presses the lever 58 inwardly. The spring -62 acting through the flanges '60 and 83 will cause the outside release lever 51 to rotate downwardly about the pivot post 24, whereby the inner end it of this release lever will act on the left end of the inside release lever ll to rotate the latter and cause the safety latch bolt to be retracted. The nose 8 of the safety latch bolt extends through a slot in the bottom or ii of the rotary bolt housing, as indicated in Figures 6 to 8 inclusive, and when fully retracted, is retracted sufliciently to clear the safety stop shoulder 39 in the keeper. The same rotation of the safety latch bolt also withdraws the shoulder thereof from underneath the rotor lever 25, which at that time, that is when the door is closed, is engaged by the takeup lever 23 whose projection 27 rests on top of the rotor lever. By thus retracting the support from the free end of the rotor lever this lever is able to drop downwardly releasing the take-up lever, and the rotary bolt will be free to be rotated to atched position by the keeper as the door is pulled open.

This'door latch mechanism also includes a locking mechanism whereby the door may be locked from the outside by means of a key or lockedirom the inside by means of a push rod extending upwardly through the selvage of the door. A lock plate 80 is pivotally mounted on the collar 30 concentrically with the safety latch bolt and is provided with an aperture ll which is usually square but may be otherwise especially shaped to receive and cooperate with the shank of a key operated locking mechanism of any suitable design and not forming a part of this invention. As will be well understood by those skilled in this art, this look plate can be rotated by means of the key operated lock mechanism to and from looking position where the projection 82 of the locie plate will extend underneath a projection ll formed integrally with the outside release lever 51. In this position the lock plate will effectively prevent the outside handle from rotating the lever 51 downwardly, to effect a r traction of the safety latch bolt.

Another mechanism for rotating this lock plate into locking position is constructed as follows:

A plate 84 is pivotally mounted on the post 42, concentrically with the inside release lever ll, and is provided with a slot 85 through which the remote control link post Ii may extend. A push rod 86 is pivotally connected to the plate 84 and extends upwardly through the selvage plate surrounding the window on the door and has a button 81 at its upper end. A projection ll on the plate 8| at all times lies between the lock plate arms 82 and 89-. Hence, by means of push rod 86 the lock plate may be moved to and from locking position.

A cover plate 90 shown in Figure 2 covers the lock plate 80 and'assists in retaining it in position and also aids in holding in proper alignment the spring 41 and .a spring 9| which latter springcooperates with a projection 92 at the lower edge of the lock plate to hold this plate in either locked or unlocked position.

The projection 93 shown at the left edge of the lock plate is provided for the purpose of preventing that plate from being rotated either by the key or by the push rod 86 into locking position when the rotary bolt is in unlatched position. At such a time, the spring 3i will occupy the position shown in Figure 9 and would be struck by the projection 93 if one attempted to rotate the locking plate over to locking position. This feature is for the purpose of preventing anyone from setting the lock while the door is open. The projection 93 also prevents anyone from rotating the lock plate tt into locking position from the inside of the car by means of the push rod at or from the outside of the car by means of a key when the latch mechanism is merely in the safety latch position. In either case. the door must be sufiiciently closed so that the rotary bolt has been rotated to latching position and is effective itself to hold the door closed. At such time the lock plate It may then be placed in locking position either by a key or the inside push rod.

In fact, this feature can be used to serve another useful purpose. If an occupant of a car is uncertain whether any door equipped with one of these locks has been sumciently closed so that it is held by the rotary bolt instead of merely by the safety latch bolt, he may push down on the push rod and if it fails to move the customary full distance, he will then know without a close examination of the door itself that it is being held only by the safety latch bolt.

The yielding feature provided by the spring li62 in the outside release mechanism is provided for the purpose of decreasing the likelihood oi damage to the latch mechanism by automobile thieves. Occasionally. an automobile thief will place a piece of plpe over an outside handle ,of a car door that is locked and rotate the handle with great force us hoping to damage the lock mechanism sumo 'ently to permit the opening or the door. In view of the yielding connection between the levers and 59, the outside handle can be rotated throughout its customary path of travel even though the door be locked, neither actuating the lock nor damaging it.

When the latch mechanism is in fully unlatched position, as shown in Figure 9, the rotor lever 28 has its movable end supported on the top edge 29 of the safety latch plate. The takeup lever 23 will be in the position shown in Figure 9. The spring 3| through its end 32 acting on the projection 34 of the take-up arm will cause that portion of the take-up arm to rest on top of thecam shaped collar I! which is supported on the pivot post l1. In this position, the head 21 of the take-up arm is free and clear of the rotor lever 25.

If the door be closed tightly thereafter, the keeper will cause, the rotary bolt to rotate for example to the position shown in Figure 8 and the take-up arm will also move to the extreme left end position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 11, with its head 21 bearing on the wavy surface 26 on the rotor lever. As explained heretofore this will hold the door latched by means of the rotary bolt.

During this closing movement of the door, the safety latch plate retracts momentarily when its nose 46 is passing over the projection 38 in the keeper, but thereafter resumes its function of supporting the movable end of the rotor lever 25. As the rotary bolt enters the keeper its strike arm l9 will cause it to rotate and by the time the latching arm 23 becomes engaged with the latch surface 36 the head 21 of the take-up arm 23 will have been propelled up onto the serrated sur-' face 26 of the rotor lever by the combined action of the pivot post 2| and the spring 3|. This movement of the take-up lever will, however, lift the lateral projection 34 away from the cam-shaped collar |8, and thereafter as the head 21 of the take-up arm advances to the left over the serrations, propelled by post 2| and spring 3|, this separation between 34 and i8 will be maintained, in order that the spring 3| may freely function to cause the take-up arm to engage tightly the rotor lever.

When the inside handle or the outside handle are thereafter operated to retract the safety latch plate from its supporting position under the free end of the rotor lever 28, that lever will immediately be swung downwardly by the pressure caused by spring 3| and when the take-up arm thereupon become disengaged from the rotor lever, the door may be opened. The head 21 of the take-up arm, however, does not continue to follow the rotor lever as the latter drops down. The extension of the take-up lever which carries the projection 34 will move downwardly a short distance until it strikes the top of the cam shaped collar l8 and thereafter as the door is being opened, this arm of the take-up lever will ride on the collar I8 and thereby maintain a distinct separation between the take-up arm head 21 and the serrated surface on the rotor lever. The amount of this separation is roughly indicated in Figure 11 by means of the dot and dash line 94 which indicates the path which will be taken by the lower edge of the head 21 as it moves back toward the fully unlatched position shown in Figure 9. In Figure 11, the rotor lever is shown in the position it assumes after the safety latch plate B has been withdrawn from under it. The post 2| and spring 3| are omitted from Figure 11 in order to clarify the illustration of the functions just described.

The collar l8 insures that when the latch release mechanism is operated either by the inide handle or outside handle to unlatch the door and is held actuated during the opening of the door, there will be no drag between the takeup lever and the serrated rotor lever which could oppose free and easy opening of the door.

While I have shown and described in detail a preferred form of the invention, it should be understood that various details and construction thereof may be-modified considerably withoutde- 8 parting from the spirit and scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a door latc mechanism, a latch, a pivoted latch release member operatively connected therewith,'a pivoted outside door handle I01 moving said release member in position to release the latch, retracting means operable by said handle for actuating said release member and including two coaxially pivoted levers, one of said levers having a projecting end portion overlying a portion of said latch release member for moving said member in a direction to release the latch and the other of said levers having an engaging end portion positioned to be pivoted in a direction to effect release of the latch by operation of the outside door handle, a relatively stiff spring connected between said levers and normally urging said levers to rotate in opposite directions about their common pivot, said spring being sufficiently stiff to effect movement or said lever overlying said latch release member in an unlatching direction upon movement of said door handle operated lever and said other lever in an unlatching direction, a locking member movable into position to block pivotal movement of said lever overlying said latch release member and said spring yielding to permit full pivotal movement of said handle when said locking member is in a blocking position and the latch mechanism is locked.

2. In a door latch mechanism, a latch, a pivoted latch release member operatively connected therewith, an outside door handle pivotally mounted on the outside of the door, retracting means operable by pivotal movement of said handle, for pivoting said latch release member in a direction to release the latch including two coaxially pivoted levers, one of said levers overlying a portion of said releaose member and having operative engagement therewith and the other of said levers having an engaging end portion having operative connection with said door handle and pivotally moving in a retracting direction upon movement of said door handle in a direction to release the latch, a relatively stiff spring connected between said levers and urging said levers to rotate in opposite directions about their common pivot and being sufliciently strong to move said lever overlying said latch release member to actuate said latch release member upon pivotal movement of said handle operated lever in a direction to release the latch, a pivoted locking member, and means operable to move said locking member into position to underlie said lever overlying said retracting member and block pivotal movement of said last-mentioned lever, said spring yielding to allow free pivotal movement of said other lever against said spring upon actuation of said outside door handle, when the door is locked.

3. In a door latch mechanism a latch casing having a plate extending parallel to the door edge and a second plate extending parallel to the plane of the door, a latch release member pivoted to said second plate for movement in a plane parallel to the plane of the door, an outside door handle pivoted to the outside of the door, retracting means operable by said outside door handle for moving said latch release member in a direction to release the latch including two levers coaxially pivoted on said first plate extending parallel to the door edge, one of said levers extending into position to overlie a portion of said latch release member for actuating said latch release member, the other of said levers extending into position to be operated by said door handle, a depressible member engaged with said door handle and engageable with the other or said levers for depressing said other lever upon pivotal movement 01 said door handle in an unlatching direction, and a relatively stifl! spring having connection withsaid levers and biasing said levers to pivot in opposite directions about their common pivot, a locking member pivoted on said second plate,.means operable to move said locking member into position to underlie and block pivotal movement of said one lever overlying said retracting means, and said spring movingsaid one lever overlying said latch release member in a direction to release the latch upon depressible movement of said other lever and pivotal movement 'of the door handle in an unlatching direction and yielding when said locking member is in position to block pivotal movement of said one lever to permit pivotal movement of said handle and said handle operated lever with respect to said blocked lever.

EDWARD D. DALL.

REFERENCES QITED The following references are of record in 'th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name -Date 738,100 Cuntz Sept. 1, 1903 1,516,152 Dumont Nov. 18, 1924 2,034,746 Ciak Mr. 24, 1936 2,115,849 Gustavson May 3, 1938 2,173,765 Potter Sept. 19, 1939 2,228,674 Raymond Jan. 14, 1941 2,246,787 Dali June 24, 1941 2,391,559 Marple Nov. 10, 1942 

